BBxRae: Complicationals
by xTammyVx
Summary: Her name means "dark bird", and M'gann is certain that something is wrong with this new girl. Her blood-brother, however, is infatuated. When Raven starts spending time with him and Conner, M'gann risks her already-rocky relationships with everyone, beloved boyfriend included, to uncover it all. -Details at top of fic-
1. Impressions

**Pairings:**  
BBxRae, original!RoyxRae, and M'gannxL'gaan, with some hints of M'gannxConner, ConnerxRae, and ConnerxCassie.

**Summary:**  
Her name means "dark bird", and M'gann is certain that something is wrong with this girl. Her blood-brother, however, is infatuated. When Raven starts spending time with him and Conner, M'gann risks her already-rocky relationships with everyone, beloved boyfriend included, to uncover it all.

**Rating**:  
T for language and references.

**Multi-chapter?**  
Yes.

**AN:**  
In this fic, Miss Martian and Lagoon Boy are still together, original!Roy has become Speedy, then Red Arrow (with robotic arm). Raven has become a part of the time as of a minute before this fic starts. To see her outfit, check my deviantART page (links on my profile).

Don't be afraid to leave a comment! It gives me a little thrill when I see [New Review] in my emails :3

* * *

This girl wasn't Gar's usual standard of "pretty". She stood before him, a purple strip of hair on either side of her grey face, in a hooded cape and off-the-shoulder bodysuit that left her arms bare for long gloves to cover. He couldn't tell where her eyes were aimed, but they were stoic, verging on cold, and a deep violet. First his blood cooled to a searing degree, then his fingers twitched. He wanted to change. He wanted to turn into a bloodhound and sniff the scents of her previous whereabouts. He wanted to morph into a cat and absorb every detail. She was new meat on the Team—not to mention in his age range—and therefore interesting. He turned to his left flank to catch an approving nod from Blue Beetle, who apparently liked what he saw as well.

Gar looked back. She had high cheekbones, lips that looked nearly dangerous in their perfection.

"Exotic," he mused silently. Miss Martian shot him a look to squelch down any further observations from his boy brain.

The girl's hood lowered, giving a crisper view of her face. Not that Gar was looking at her face. No, he was looking with a swallow at the spiky pixie cut she donned. Oh, Miss M would_ so_ not be happy.

"Everybody, Raven. Raven, the Team."

Then Red Tornado stepped back, leaving her to the mercy of Miss Martian's chipper greeting.

However, she didn't give one.

_What do we know about her, Nightwing?_

_Nothing much. We're still figuring stuff out_.

Her auburn eyes narrowed. _Then how can we trust her?_

Gar would have blocked them out if he could – Nightwing wouldn't let someone on the Team if they couldn't trust them. Instead of voicing that little opinion, he continued staring. Her nose was straight, with indications of European blood, and even though she wasn't his usual type, she was certainly striking.

Raven.

He would have to say that when he was alone, just to see how it sounded rolling off his tongue. She didn't seem to care that no-one had spoken since Red T. It was weird because most new members would stand with twitching eyes, a shining forehead and clammy hands. Raven looked so calm, like they could reject her at any moment and she would just walk away, untouched.

Then her eyes snapped, locking onto his. The look burned his cheeks to an embarrassing heat, but he took one glance at Miss Martian, whose lips pursed as a sign to tell him no, and stepped forward, hand outstretched.

"Hey, Raven," he grinned. "I'm Beast Boy."

She hesitated, only slightly, before holding out her own. "It's nice to meet you."

Her voice made him want to melt a little. It was that sexy gravel-type tone of a girl who didn't squeal over shoes or want to drag him around a shopping mall. He digged that. Her fingers were precise and lady-like in the shake, all perfectly-positioned and light.

He put his palm on her shoulder, not missing the way it stiffened under his touch. "Okay, awkward because this isn't what we usually look like, but that's Blue Beetle, Conner, Megan, Nightwing, Impulse and Red Arrow."

Gar could tell from one look that Red _definitely_ wasn't minding the new team mate. He took her hand, that charming smile laid out perfectly on his face, and kissed it.

"It's very nice to meet you," he told her.

Gar was nearly sick.

Unlike the majority of women in his presence, Raven didn't giggle or flush with a soft shade of pink.

"And yourself," she replied.

"Any volunteers to show Raven to her room so she can drop off her things?" asked Nightwing, shooting a dagger-eyed warning shot at Red.

"I'll do it!" Gar said, ignoring snorts and a murmur of "Suck up" from his friends.

Megan tilted her chin up at him and Gar's heart dropped.

"Thanks, Gar, but I'll show her where it is."

Red Arrow muttered "Damn, damn,_** damn**_," as Raven and Miss Martian walked away.

.

"Miss Martian, as in Martian Manhunter?"

M'gann's gaze cut to the right. Raven was watching the corridor.

"Yes," she replied after a lengthy pause. "And your name?"

"It's my birth name. No hidden meaning – just 'dark bird'."

This only fuelled the curiosity brewing inside her skull. Something was off – and it wasn't the milk in the fridge, for once.

"I see."

"What else do you see?"

M'gann's movement halted and she blinked at Raven; her voice was sharp like a butcher's knife but smooth and controlled. It wasn't a difficult question. It was, however, an intriguing one.

"A telepathic, a healer, an empathic."

Raven moved closer, the shadow cast by her cloak darker than it should have been in the hallway's lighting.

"So don't you think an empathic can tell when their mind is being broken into?" The female in question's jaw clenched. "I can feel it, Miss Martian, and I understand you wish to know more about me, but I feel it would be best to advise you that some heads are best left unexplored."

"I don't like your tone, young lady."

"I don't like that I've had to use it."

And, just like that, Miss Martian felt bad. Different people reacted differently to new situations, and maybe Raven was just automatically defensive. A smile grew over her face, taking on that older, wiser, _I'm the bigger person_ aura.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been so intruding. Start over?" she offered. The corners of Raven's lips began to hint at an upward turn, right as Miss Martian's parted once again. "Speaking of which, I could totally help you design a new costume, thanks to the whole shapeshifter thing. We can see what it'll look like without having to make one or use some confusing computer thing. Although we could ask if Nightwing would help – some feel unnerved seeing me transform into their-"

"Why would I need a new costume?" Raven asked.

Miss Martian, once again, blinked. "W-well, because we both have short hair. Abnormal skin colours. Capes, bodysuits, telepathy, stripes on our waists, dark colours. People could get us confused."

"These are the traditional colours of an Azrathian, Miss Martian. As for my bodysuit, that's what female students wear when still under a monk's training. Besides, can't you change your outfit? It's a bio-suit, right?"

"How did you-"

"I actually have a map of this place in my head," Raven cut in, hoisting the bag over her shoulder with a long look around. "I'm pretty certain I can find my room. Thank you for getting me this far, though."

.

"She has a nice figure – a dancer, maybe?" Jaime guessed.

"With a chest like that, probably. The ass makes up for it, thank God." As Roy spoke, his cheeky grin appeared with his hands sweeping down an invisible hourglass.

"What are you gonna do if she's not into red-heads?" asked the brunette.

Roy gave him a pity-amused look. "Who isn't into hot red-heads?"

"Do we really have to bring her up again?"

"Who?"

Bart smirked, dragging out the name long and whiny; "_Donna_."

"What if I wanted to make a move on Raven?" Gar interjected. All of his friends' heads snapped towards him. "I mean... Do you think she'd go for me?"

A couple of seconds passed before Roy snickered. "Hey, if she doesn't like me then you are _welcome_ to her."

Gar didn't appreciate the idea of getting passed Roy's leftovers, but he also didn't warm to the idea of a sulk at him. He did, however, have a liking to Raven.

"I hate to go against my bro, Gar, but did you see the way your sister looked at her? I don't think she'd like it a lot if you tried to charm the new girl."

"No, she most certainly would not."

M'gann's words made them jump, loud and angry in the living room where they had all been murmuring things that only adolescent males would say.

"C'mon, sis – what d'you have against her?" asked Gar, jumping over the sofa. When she didn't move, realisation hit him and his eyes automatically rolled. "You went through her head? Not cool."

"Tried to," she corrected bitterly.

Shoulders slumping, he gave her his best glare of disappointment. "Some people have private things in there. Things they don't want other people to know."

She folded her arms defensively. "If we're going to be on the same team there should be no secrets – if it's so bad that I can't know then maybe she shouldn't be trusted at all."

A lick of his canine meant Roy was ready for a good argument. "No offense intended, Miss M, but do you really wanna know how often Gar here gets a wet dream, or when Jaime's Scarab starts talking to him about the changes in his body and shit to prepare him for mating, or when I jerk off? And let's not forget the lovely images of Bart finishing a little too quickly. And by that, I mean in his own pants."

"Hey!"

Gar shot him a dirty snarl.

M'gann looked appalled. "Of course not! That's disgusting!"

"Then do you automatically not trust me because I didn't tell you my left nut hangs lower than my right?"

"Dude, regrettably noted. Scarred."

"We may as well be open," he shrugged. "And look at how uncomfortable it makes you. Would you really want these things in your knowledge?"

She huffed and turned on her heel.

"I still don't like her."


	2. Suspicions

**AN: I thought I should tell you guys that this is based on Season 1 continuity with Season 2 characters/members. For example, Blue Beetle is here and bluer than ever, but Kaldur isn't evil.**

**Speaking of whom, I bawled like a baby during _Before the Dawn_.**

**"M'gann, what have you _done_?"**

**Yes, M'gann e_e Superboy told you so!**

**Anyway, read on, followers! (...and others.)**

* * *

The moment Raven began her training was the moment Gar realised he was all kinds of _wrong_ about her.

What he once believed to be a dainty creature was, in reality, a deathly creation. She fought with the same elegance that she spoke but on a grander scale, a scale in which she could hold in her palm and crush. The warped black was cold on his skin and it wasn't even _touching_ him.

No, it was Nightwing that she was facing off. Even when he went easy on people there was a tendency for the opponent to lose. Raven, however, was doing a pretty good job thus far, avoiding anything and everything. Gar watched her features, aware they it didn't appear to be changing in expression at all. With that said, her hood held an unpiercable shadow over her face, leaving only the whites of her eyes visible. She was a lethal statue of a girl who was throwing dark energy, letting it swoop across the floor of the room and forcing Nightwing to get distracted with flips and jumps. If the boy was right, then it seemed Raven wasn't trying to hurt their ex-leader at all. It was like she was trying to _trap_ him instead.

Then something shocking happened.

Bart's hand, covered in cheesy flavouring, paused mid-dip into his chip packet. "No way."

The power that had enveloped his wrists and knees were drawn to the ground, bringing Nightwing with them. Gloved fists flattened, floppy, black hair falling forward with his head as he submitted.

Gar had never been one to catch onto things easily. This was proven further as he failed to comprehend the silence as one of fear rather than of awe. He let out a loud whoop of "Go Rae!"

M'gann shook her head at him.

Raven lowered herself to the ground and released the man, offering her hand. He took it, grinning. Raven pulled him up.

"You have pretty precise control, Raven," Nightwing told her. "All you have to work on is _attacking_ your opponent rather than blocking and shielding."

She bowed her head, the cloak's hood fell back. "My apologies, Nightwing. Where I come from, even the smallest act of violence will have you exiled. I've only recently learnt to use my powers on others, but harming them is still a difficulty."

_Looks like someone won't be going on missions._

Gar's ears twitched in agitation at the delighted tone of M'gann's inner voice.

_Cut her a break, sis! Jeez, why do you have to be so mean?_ he shot back.

Her auburn eyes widened at his defensiveness.

Nightwing looked their way as a low growl slipped from the green teenager's throat, before redirecting his attention back to the matter at hand. "We could train privately sometime, if it makes you more comfortable."

"Thank you," she said, watching as the crowd broke away in chunks and headed in different directions.

.

"I'm just sayin', did you _see_ the way she moved?" The ginger-haired boy shook his head, a smile on his lips and a sly look on his face. "I would lick Thailand's spiciest hot sauce off of that!"

"Do girls actually like getting stuff licked off of them?" Jaime asked. "Spit is a little sticky and too much chocolate or whipped cream or whatever would make me sick. ... No, wasn't talking to you." The rest of the group (Roy in particular) sat, amused, as the tall boy continued arguing in a whisper that just wasn't going under their radar. "Who are you to decide who's in my league? ... No, I wasn't planning on going after her. ... I know I'm with Cassie! ... Because she's hot!"

"Come on, don't talk about her like that," Gar groaned.

Bart's eyes met Roy's in an instant, their intentions clear.

"Aw, has Gar got a big crush on Raven?"

"You know I do so qui-"

"She's been staying with us for a week, now," Roy stated. "Are saying that within the given time period you're the only one who hasn't thought about the things you'd do to her, given half the chance?"

Gar didn't want to become the laughing stock of their group—nope, that role was currently pinned to Tim—by telling them _no_, he _hadn't_ thought about what he'd do to Raven. He'd thought about what he'd do _for_ her, but most of the ideas weren't even sexual. Once or twice he'd wondered what it'd be like to lean in and take the girl into his arms and kiss her. The other times had been debates of whether or not it would be way too weird for him to bring dinner to her room or ask what she was reading or talk about the weather.

So he blushed.

Which, like fire to dynamite, set Roy's mouth into a grin.

"See? Told you."

He was in the middle of planning a rebuttal when the subject of their conversation appeared in the doorway.

"What's up, Raven?" Roy greeted, his face soft – it was an expression Gar recognized, much to his disappointment. "Nice job today at training!"

"Actually, that's what I've come to talk about," she said. Ever for _her_ the tone was flat. "You all left in a state of fear, which I have narrowed down to be a side-effect of my powers. I am sorry, and I will learn to control these, or at the very least protect those who are not supposed to be on the receiving end."

"You practise on me anytime, sweetheart. I'm available." The grin on Roy's face held despite the way Raven's eyes lingered on Gar's.

Gar swallowed, his toes curling inside the shoes M'gann had bought him for his birthday.

Then she turned on her heal, tossing a thank you over her shoulder for the red-head.

"_Go_," he hissed at the youngest of the group, catching him off-guard. "We all saw that – now _do_ something about it."

So he scrambled off the sofa and jogged into the hallway, followed by the fading cheers of his friends. A glimpse of the darkest blue stuck out to him as it flittered around the corner to his left. Gar sprinted in that direction, his hope heightening as he caught her scent. It was some kind of woodsy lavender.

However, when he reached the bend of the hallway where she _should_ have been there was no sight of her. Thankful for the enhanced development of his nose and ability to put a smell to a face, he chased that instead.

It was only a few turns later when the trail went cold – not faded, just smack-bang dead. Gar sighed. It would be just his luck if she'd run off.

The teen did a one-eighty, scratching his neck. _Damn_, where had she-

"Why are you following me?"

Gar jumped just as instantly as Raven had been _right there_.

"_Jeezus_, Rae!" he cried. The loud outburst did nothing to soften the suspicious glower or the flat line of her pursed lips. "D-don't do that!"

"Why? Because you didn't want anyone to know you'd been following me?" The tone she used didn't match her face – _calm_. "I can sense you, just like you can sense me."

"I just wanted to..." Excuses—let alone _lying_—had never been one of his strong points. "...say that it's okay. About this morning, I mean. I don't think you scared anyone."

It was like all the shadows shrank back into their rightful corners.

"Your dishonesty has good intentions. However, the delivery needs work," she told him plainly.

His pulse quickened, the blood in his face throbbing hotly. "Okay, so it's not the reason I came here, but it's still true. I don't think anyone's too freaked about it."

She sighed, removing herself from his personal space and giving him the air to breathe properly again. "They may have made comments that lead you to believe they weren't afraid when they left, but I felt it."

"Felt what?" he asked.

"Everyone had a feeling in their gut that told them I was a silent predator, with the exception of you. You are a boy who is part animal – you have the ability to detect such dangers. " She stepped closer again. "So why aren't _you_ afraid of me?"

Gar paused. Raven's breath had smelled _so good_ as she spoke, and now he was _really_ beginning to wonder what kissing her would be like, what sounds she would make if he pushed her against the wall of the hallway and licked her throat.

"I guess I pay attention to the intention and not the action," he chuckled nervously. "You just don't seem like you could hurt me."

Raven seemed to consider it, if the silence was anything to go by. "You're either very naïve or very stupid."

"Thanks." He cleared his throat. Roy's voice was in his head. "You haven't left the grounds since you got here. Don't you want to go and see the city, explore a little, have some fun?"

Raven retreated back into the depths of her hood. "I don't deserve to... _have fun_. Not with the trouble I've caused. Nightwing is right – I should be practising the control of my powers instead of wasting time," she replied.

"'Trouble'? You mean with M'gann? Don't sweat it – she never likes the newbies." He shrugged. "I think she just has a thing for the old Team and traditions and such. Getting Rocket in was almost the last straw from what I hear."

"I hardly think she treats everyone with the same chill _I_ receive."

"Oh, you'd be surprised."

"It's a wonder she makes any friends, then."

"Sure is." He went to pat her reassuringly on the shoulder, but reconsidered it when she watched his hand with cautious eyes. "Just don't let her deter you from getting to know everyone else. We're a nice group."

Raven bowed her head. "I will keep your words in mind, Garfield. Thank you."

.

M'gann stood tall and strong, each step prouder than the last. Once Artemis had quit, she'd become top girl in Mount Justice, and, no matter what Cassie or Batgirl had to say about it, that was how the foodchain was going to stay.

The TV from the main room drowned out her footsteps, boys' laughter nearly smothering her voice.

The room suddenly fell silent as the screen turned black.

"M'gann, honey, you know I love you, but turning the Wii off—however low-tech it is—could be considered cruelty by some," Bart stated before she had the chance to speak again. "Anyway, you've missed Gar by about a minute."

"I'm not here for Gar. I want to talk to _you_."

Bart sighed. "Alright, guys, s'ya later."

.

"You know the history of the Team from the future, right?"

Bart secured his hands behind his head with a modest shrug. "I've done my research."

M'gann planted both hands on the table. "I need to know about Raven."

The hesitation seemed a lot longer than it really was.

"What about her?"

"Everything."

"No," he replied, standing. "You know I don't do that, M'gann. It could screw a whole lotta things up and I don't want to be responsible for that."

The girl crossed her green arms, well aware that the movement pushed her breasts together. "I overheard you the other day telling Roy how several celebrities die. How is this any different?"

"Because it won't affect him! Don't you get it?" He pushed his palms out to her. "I'm not giving you info on Raven or _anyone_ on the Team, alright? We've been through this!"

M'gann relented then, but not to him – no, she had a new tactic.

For a woman of an Earth age of mid-twenties, shape-shifting abilities gave her a new anti-aging advantage that no supermodel or actress could even _attempt_ to replicate. With this on her side, she'd chosen a look that would place her best cards on the table and let them play for her.

Throughout their conversation, M'gann knew Bart had been too preoccupied with either arguing or subtly checking out her cleavage (ultra-fast movement made it difficult to catch him) to notice her skirt had shrunk an inch. The alien sat on the wooden surface and crossed her legs, barely seeing the bob of the boy's Adam's apple.

"Bart, I'm always surprised that you think it through so thoroughly." Her tone wasn't dangerous on its own, but the teasing in her eyes made it to be considered anything but safe. "I thought you were more _impulsive_."

He realised half a second too late the invisible latch she had on his wrists, but struggled nonetheless until his hands met the desk, at either side of her butt. Crotch pressed to her bare knee, a blush rose on his tan cheeks as her face neared his.

"Earn your name, Impulse," she whispered.

The tight feeling of his throat was a stark contrast to the hollow space of his lungs as she changed the pressure with kneading movements. Now _this _was the kind of trouble he wanted to avoid no matter _how_ delicious she looked.

Suddenly the door burst open, giving M'gann the momentary distraction Bart needed to jump back as Cassie burst through.

"M'gann! ...Bart?"

The neckline of M'gann's top crept up as the hem of her shirt went down. "Yes, Wonder Girl?"

The blonde gave them both equally inquisitive glances before telling them "Gar's in the sick bay with a nosebleed. It sounds stupid, but there's a lot of it – he was out like a light when I left."

"What's the cause?" M'gann asked, standing.

Cassie raised both hands. "I don't know – he was with Raven and she says it just happened."

That was all M'gann needed to hear.

She was in the air, soaring through the doorway and down the hall, when the younger girl turned to Bart;

"What were you guys doing? It looked pretty cosy, if you don't mind me saying, and then you leapt back when I came in."

_Don't tell her – it'll be our little secret._

"N-nothing," Bart answered hastily. "Just asking how Gar was and stuff."

Cassie nodded. "He seems pretty smitten with Raven, doesn't he? I was thinking about asking her out for coffee if she wants to – the other girls don't really seem too enthusiastic to hang with her."

Bart heard her plans of a double-date with Jaime and Gar, though that wasn't to say he was listening.

He would never understand Martians.


End file.
